2019 Warrior 5K

Happy Monday! It's been a LONG time since I blogged on a Monday, but it's a holiday week and I wanted to hit the ground rolling after having an amazing weekend in the world of running!

As I mentioned in my spring race plans post, this past weekend was filled with running adventures. It all began on Saturday with a local 5K at the high school where I graduated, followed by a road trip to Ponchatoula Louisiana for a 10K and the strawberry festival. (More on that in a later post!)

On Saturday morning, the weather was iffy. Lots of rain, wind, tornado warnings, etc. Thankfully, it all held off and our events (the 5K and an Easter egg hunt) were able to go off as planned! This race also wasn't set to start until 9 a.m., which I thought was odd and kind of late for a race, especially one in April in the south. This 5K was the kickoff to an all-day event, so once I saw the schedule, it made more sense as to the timing of it all.

As I mentioned, this race was at the school where I graduated, so it was fun being back and seeing all of the memories and familiar faces. This school is actually preK3-12, so I spent a LOT of years there. When I walked in the front door, I heard my Spanish name "ROSITA" (long story) and my Spanish 2 teacher was there to greet me with a big hug. It was so much fun seeing her again! (Y'all, it's been almost 20 years since I graduated!)

My sweet dad came along as my race support while Jason took Brayden to our church's Easter egg hunt (and I met up with them later).

Being back in the gym where I spent SO much time was so weird!

They even kept our poster with our softball winnings! I was on the 1999 & 2000 teams!

After a little opening ceremony, it was time to begin the race. Thankfully, the race director is a runner and knew we were ready to get going, so we only stayed in the opening cerremonies for a short amount of time.

This race was small and once they called "GO" I quickly realized that I was in the lead. What. The. Heck. I had read about all of the roads to turn on, but wasn't sure I could remember them. Thankfully, the course was well marked and I was able to follow the signs just right!

After finding my groove, I just kept focusing on moving forward. It was warm and humid and I was running fast (for me). My first mile clocked in at a 7:47 and I knew I couldn't keep that up all three miles. I also had a guy on my heels and I didn't want him to pass me. This course was not closed either, so the cars on the road made me a little nervous.

I did grab a cup of water at two of the water stops, but I kept running while drinking the water (which was kind of a mistake). I also kept willing for it to rain so I could cool off a bit! Unfortunately, it never did.

As we passed the 3.1 mile mark, the guy that was behind me passed me (of course) and went on to cross the finish line just a few steps ahead of me.

After he turned around, I realized who he was and made a joke about it. I work with his dad! Small world, huh?

I seriously gave this race all I had. My lungs were burning and I just couldn't go anymore. Even though I didn't cross in first, I still placed as first female and received a certificate towards a pair of shoes from our local running store! (This was our 2nd annual Warrior 5K and I also placed as first female last year!)

 
After grabbing a bottle of water and saying goodbye to everyone, my dad and I set out for our church and the Easter egg hunt.

On the way there, I was talking about my PR and mentioned that I didn't come anywhere close to it, even though I felt like I was running fast (for me). My dad asked if I was sure...so I looked it up and much to my surprise, I DID PR...by 14 second with an average pace of 8:02 per mile!

I could not believe it! Having a PR at a race held by my school is extra special to me, so this one means just that much more, especially since my previous PR was from 2015 (and pre-baby)!

It was a great start to the weekend and I couldn't wait to see what the rest of it had in store (more great running things to come so stay tuned)!

Have you ever had that nostalgic return-to-your-high-school kind of feeling?

Spring Race Plans

Spring has arrived in the south (well on most days) and with that means perfect weather. Even if it's only around for a little while before the summer heat hits, I'll take it! There's just something about spring that I love...the colors, the weather, the fresh and newness of it all...it's seriously one of the best times of year! (Minus Christmas, of course.)

In the spring, races are usually in abundance around here and they taper off as soon as summer hits due to the ridiculous heat, so you gotta catch them while you can. For this spring, I've found several races I plan on running, so here's a rundown of them all!

#1 St. Patrick's Day 3 Miler

Yes, this race already took place but I'm posting it for two reasons - number 1, I need to write my recap like ASAP and number 2, it's the first race in our local "Triple Crown" series and I'm going for it again this year! (The last time I completed this series was in 2015.)

#2 HCS Warriors 5K

Last year, I ran this "first annual race" and as an alumni of the school, I placed as first female. Yes, the race was small and placing in it was totally random, but I was beyond shocked and excited! This is a race I'll continue running in the future because even though I've been gone for a while, I still love to support the school as I attended there most of my life! (It's a K-12th grade school.)

#3 Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival 10K

This one is incredibly random and 100% new to me as it's in a town about 3 hours away. It also happens to be the day after the Warrior 5K...whoops. In my fervent search for a "local" 10K to use as proof of time for Wine & Dine, I stumbled across this race. It's the only race in reasonable driving distance that is hosting a 10K before the cutoff time for proof of time submissions. I would have run a 10K last fall, but that's when I came down with the great lung plague, so yea...that went right out the window. I'm really looking forward to this one as it's completely new to me and I can't wait! Jason's also going to do the 5K with Brayden!

#4 Contraband Days 5 Miler

Although this race is taking place the day after Relay for Life again this year, I'm still looking forward to running it as part 2 of the Triple Crown series! Yes, my legs are probably going to feel like lead and I'll definitely be sleep deprived, but I think I'll make it! Although it's always hot (this race is held in May) this race is for sure a local favorite!

#5 4th of July 4 Miler

Yes, this race falls in the summer time, but it's also part 3 and the final race in the Triple Crown series. I love running this race and enjoy seeing the local running crowd that comes out for it!

That should be it for now, unless another random race pops up into there (which is completely possible)!

Do you have any fun spring time races planned? Please share! I want to hear all about them!

Favorite Race Memories from 2018

Happy happy 2019! I hope you all enjoyed your New Year's Eve/Day celebrations and kicked off the new year on a good note!

Last week I shared a little about the medals earned during my 2018 races, but I didn't share about my favorite race moments and memories! There were several high points to races for me this year, so I thought it would be fun to share them with you today!

Hands down, the highlight of my year was the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World in January of 2018. Running all four races throughout the parks for a total of 48.6 miles was nothing short of magical. Sure, the early mornings x 4 were gruesome, but crossing the finish line of the marathon made up for it all!

Stopping for character photos and seeing familiar faces throughout the race course added to the fun! Being around so many runners who were attempting to accomplish the same "crazy" goal made it all the more exciting. I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling a little FOMO for this upcoming Marathon Weekend in just a few short days.

Another highlight of the year for me was when I placed at the Warrior 5K held by the high school where I graduated. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I managed to keep the lead in all of the women and I crossed the finish line in first place! Yes, it was a smaller-ish 5K but I still won a pair of shoes from our local running store for placing! The fact that the race was put on by my old high school made it fun for me, too!

In May, I ran the Contraband Days 5 Miler after having planned and helped execute our local Relay for Life event the evening before. I didn't get to sleep until after 1 a.m. the morning of race day and after having been on my feet ALL day the day before, I was running this one on dead legs. Needless to say, this wasn't my greatest race but it's definitely one I can laugh at because I'm still wondering what in the world I was thinking by registering for it!

The 4 Miler on the 4th of July was another fun one this year. I'd just started Orangetheory about 6 weeks prior to the race and the consisted cross-training proved itself as a plus. Although I had to stop for a minute to get my heart under control mid-race (because it did that crazy PSVT thing), I still landed a 30 second PR! I couldn't believe how great I felt during this race (minus the heart part)!

In the fall, I ran my very first trail run at the Spooky Trail 10 Miler. To be honest this wasn't a fun one for me but it was definitely memorable. I was sick and running this race probably had a hand in turning said sickness into full blown bronchitis. Also, running trails alone in the woods is not a fun thing for me as I'm seriously the biggest chicken in the world. Needless to say, I stuck like glue to the runner in front of me. I probably won't be running this one again anytime soon, at least not alone.

Last but not least, I ran two Rock 'n' Roll events this year with Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans and Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio. Both were great runs and great ways to see both New Orleans and San Antonio. The bands at every mile were fun and I loved how each race included a unique glimpse of the culture of the area - New Orleans included a second line/jazz band and San Antonio had several mariachi bands along the way!

2018 was a great year, running wise and I'm excited to see what 2019 has in store!

What was your favorite running/race memory from 2018?

June Migues Warrior 5K

My first 5K of the spring season took place on Saturday. I ran this one to pay homage to my former high school and the school where I graduated (actually, I attended most of my school years there). Also, they were giving honor to a teacher who had been their since the school opened back in 1990, so I had to run for her too!

Anyway, since this was their first annual 5K, I was super excited to run!

Deciding what to wear the night before was a bit of a struggle, but I finally put something together. These Louisiana Half shirts have served me well in races - my 5K PR was reached back in 2015 while wearing one of their shirts! Hmm...maybe I need to keep that in mind in the future!

My sweet dad agreed to come along and help with Brayden since Jason had to work. We arrived a bit early which gave me a little time to take a walk down memory lane. I remember when the trees in this garden were planted as little baby trees - it was the year I graduated (2000) and now look how big they are!

The crowd began to grow as the race start time neared. Brayden kept asking for "out" so we let him roam a little bit. He however was NOT in the mood for a picture with me!

As we lined up to run, we were instructed on the route (that this would be a double loop course) and walkers were welcome. I kind of lost count of turns during the instruction piece, so I just hoped that someone would be in front of me along the way. Thankfully, they had help at every corner, giving out directions to the runners.

At first, I wasn't sure how this race would turn out for me. I recently had a cold, was having a few breathing issues (that I get every time I'm sick) and my knee was still bothering me.

When we took off, I noticed a girl who was running not too far ahead of me. My initial plan was to follow her and kind of keep her pace. Our pace at the time was an 8:10 and I wasn't sure I could keep that up the entire 5K. I haven't done a lick of speed training in a while since I've been mostly focused on distance for Dopey and Rock n Roll New Orleans.

Well, around the half mile mark, she slowed down and I still felt good, so I passed her. Since I felt so good at the first water stop, I grabbed a water bottle (cause that's what they were handing out) and ran with it while taking a few sips. I also randomly threw it into someone's trash can (while still running). #talent
Sorry to said person but I'm sure they would have rathered a water bottle in their trashcan vs their front yard!

It was around mile 2 that my breathing pattern was starting to get the best of me. I stopped and walked at the 2nd water stop and took a few sips of water while attempting to catch my breath. A friend of mine was at that corner to direct runners and hollered at me to pick it up because the other female was on my tail. As I passed my friend at the corner, she reminded me that the winners received a pair of shoes! While the race continued, I tried not to look back because I didn't want to waste any energy doing so. Also, I knew if I saw that the other female runner wasn't right on my tail any longer, I was afraid I would slow down.

With the sounds of The Greatest Showman soundtrack in my ears, I somehow managed to keep a decent pace during the final mile and crossed the (long course) 5K finish line as the first place female! My official 5K time was around 26 minutes with my overall (long course) time at 28:27 and an 8:31 mile! I'll take it!

You know what? The other female runner wasn't actually on my tail any longer and didn't cross directly after I did. I could have slowed down and probably would have had I looked back over my shoulder. I'm so glad I didn't look!

I noticed another thing along the way as well - my physical therapist told me that I would probably notice a change in my breathing capacity since I've been doing a lot of deep breathing and flexibility exercises with her and she was 100% right! I can't wait to tell her at my next appointment! 

During the awards ceremony, winners were given their certificates for their free pair of shoes from a local running store. The first overall male was an alumni, too! Fun times!

Oh yes, and we were also given these dog tags after the race - the other side said "finisher" on it.

After showering at home, my sister in law met back up with me at the school for an alumni event. 

She didn't graduate from there but my brother did and since he couldn't make it, she came with me instead.

I took her on a tour around the school and even stopped in the garden to show her our class stones! Fun times!

I hope the school keeps this up as a yearly event! It was an overall great day and I loved seeing so many familiar faces! :)

Winning a pair of shoes was a pretty sweet deal, too!